News Article

Setting the standards in higher education

Thursday, 19 September, 2013

Academics from the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) have taken part in an intensive week-long University Learning and Teaching (ULT) program, as part of the institution’s ongoing commitment to deliver teaching excellence and encourage best practices in teaching, learning and assessment across all of its undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

UOWD’s Centre for Academic Staff Professional Development (CASPD) organised the program, which brought together cross-faculty representatives to share their experiences and expertise, and to discuss and explore a variety of ideas and approaches to teaching practise through reflection, collegiality and scholarship, with the aim to enhance the UOWD student learning experience.

CASPD is a unique initiative that underlines UOWD’s commitment to be recognised as an outstanding teaching university. UOWD is the only institution of its kind in the region that has a dedicated centre and bespoke ULT curriculum for the ongoing professional development of its teaching staff.

This year’s intensive program saw sessions on various key topics such as Active Learning, Assessments, Outcome-centred Learning and Educational Philosophy, each facilitated by practitioners in the respective fields. Participants also benefited from the expertise of Dr Peter McLean, a senior Academic from the University of Wollongong in Australia, who has previously led and facilitated several key initiatives and programs related to teaching and learning in higher education. The week concluded with practical teaching sessions, where delegates applied the peer observation and mentoring process to reflect on specific teaching and learning techniques in a cooperative learning environment.

Dr Payyazhi Jayashree, Head of CASPD said, “ULT is a unique opportunity for our Academics to reflect, share insights and address some of their own conceptions of teaching. The course has a significant impact on both the participants and the students they teach; faculty members can learn from each other and have their expertise recognised and accredited, while the students go on to benefit from student-centred teaching and learning practices informed by scholarly literature and insights from a global and informed academic community.”